A cat's perspective
by Galixia
Summary: Rating may go up...Originally posted on Death-curse. Hermione has had enough of Draco and turns him into a cat and only she can understand him.How does Draco deal and why am I posting here although all my storys on DC have been discontinued? Who knows.
1. Default Chapter

A.N. this was my first fanfic I ever wrote so treat it nicly. Some of you may recognise me from Death-curse(?) , my name is Monika but somebody had already taken that one so I reverted to my chat room name,Galixia, you might also know me from the DC forums where I'm Ryu-chan( yeah that name was also already taken) ,I'm the one who keeps on starting new storys but never updates the old ones... but what can I say, I have a brain overflowing with ideas ( nasty visual image, that) and I have written, to the count 30 odd fanfics most of wich have only 1 or 2 chapters. Then they were heartlessly abandoned. Sniffle may they rest in piece on my harddrive. But back to the story at hand. Right now, it consists of 7 chapters, two of wich you can read on FF right now. You can either try your luck on this story wich will deffinatly be updated till chap7 and hope that I come out of my writers block/hiatus by the time I post that chapter( updating once a week) or you can go try another story. Just don't say I didn't warn you. This story has been chosen over my others cos its got the most chapters...I can post some more if you like but the most I've got to offer is two four chapter storys wich have been discontinued cos I'm a lazy bum.cheers. 

Disclaimer( grumble, grumble, didn't have to do these on DC) I don't own Harry Potter and any characters associated. --.--; Do I look like J.K.Rowling to you? Huh ?huh ? Do I ?

A cats perspective Chapter1 

It was the beginning of the gangs sixth year at Hogwarts. Well, not really, that is to say, it hadn't as yet begun. Harry, Hermione and Ron were camped out in a compartment on the Hogwarts express with Ginny and Neville. Hermione was in a bad mood. She had been practicing certain complicated spells in the holidays, but couldn't quite seem to get the hang of some of them. Also Malfoy and his gang had frightened poor Crookshanks senseless by turning him into a snail. The reverse spell had been easy enough but Crookshanks still refused to come out of the cat carrier.

10min later Hermione left to go to the bathroom. Neville was asleep and the others were so deep into their conversation that they didn't even notice her go. As she made her way down the isle she mulled over the new spells she had learned in the holidays. Suddenly she bumped into something, or someone as it turned out. "Aaaaahh, if it isn't the little mudblood, come to tell me that your cat feels a bit sluggish? Hahaha" Malfoy chortled at his own stupid joke. "If I squash him he'll just be slimeshanks! Hahaha" ****HeheheheSlimeshanks! –Author laughs at mental image of furry slime with whiskers

At this point Hermione just snapped. No rational thought – she just saw red. "Right, that does it, that does it! I've had enough of your crap!"She snarled as she pulled out her wand from her cloak.

Malfoy looked slightly panicked "What are you- "But it was to late, before he could stop her, she was mumbling a spell.

"Let's see how you like being a cat! _Felus catisempra, comorue humano, parle avec moi, sajanke monde_...(she did a complicated little movement with her wand) she then pointed her wand straight at Malfoy.A bright light engulfed Malfoy and before her eyes he changed shape.

When Hermione looked again Malfoy was gone. In his place was a cat. It looked quite normal- it had whiskers, a long tail and slate blue eyes (a color rather unusual in cats but still not that special) But the special thing about him was his color. His fur was smooth and snow white. This made his eyes stand out even more.

"Wha...whats going on?" the cat asked in a shaky voice." You, my dear Malfoy, are a cat! Hermione said with a grin.

Malfoy looked at himself in shock."I'm a...a ...a cat?"he yelped.

" Yup, and I'm the only one that can understand you or change you back."the triumphant look left her face."Uh-oh, I guess I'm the one that's gonna have to look after you then..."

"Are you crazy, woman? Turn me back this instant!" Malfoy insisted.

"No can do!"( errr..what was the spell to turn him back again? Hermione couldn't remember. Oh well, I'll look it up later, she thought to herself.) "Nobody's going to recognize you, so you might as well come with me," she declared. When he still looked undecided (cats do have expressions you know), she added "Don't worry I won't let the others harm you, although I should! But seeing as you're so defenseless now..." Draco silently fumed as he followed her, neatly stepping over the clothes which he did not need as a cat. The nerve! A Malfoy turned into a household pet!

As Hermione walked back into her compartment,she announced "Look what I found!I think I'll keep him 'cos he seems to be a stray. Isn't he sweet!"

Malfoy walked in ,tail held high. " Sweet!" he sniffed "I am handsome and elegant not , sweet!And I am definitely not a stray!"

"Aaaawww, isn't he adorable" Ginny said, running over to pet him. But Malfoy avoided her by quickly jumping onto the seat next to Hermione."Hands off!" he snarled." "Better Granger than a Weasel,"

"Sorry Ginny, I think he has had some bad experiences in his life."Hermione said. Granger doesn't know how true that is,Malfoy thought to himself.

"But I wonder how he got on the train,"Neville squeaked.

"Well I sure didn't fly here, Longbottem" Malfoy sniffed.

"I think he must be a magical cat" Hermione said slowly" although I haven't seen him doing anything worth mentioning ,"Hermione added this last bit with a smirk.

"Ha ha, aren't you funny." Malfoy replied sarcastically.

Harry looked on curiously," You sure it's not a female? It seems to be putting on a lot of feminine airs!"

"WHAT? How dare you! I'll scratch out your eyes! I'll-"Malfoy tried to launch himself at Harry but found that he was being held down. He struggled and scratched but Hermione held him firmly. "Lemme at him!"

"Now calm yourself, I'm sure Harry didn't mean it."Hermione said "Now Harry, take my word for it, this is definitely a male Author wonders if she should add 'smirks knowingly' but then remembers that Hermione still hates Malfoy at this point. "She added as she turned towards Harry, still holding the struggling Malfoy down. (While everybody was talking about Hermiones new cat, nobody noticed Ginny slip out of the compartment silently)

"Fine! Whatever!" Malfoy turned his back on Harry sulkily and decided to take a catnap.

" That's right, just take a little nap," Hermione said, automatically stroking him as she usually did with Crookshanks. Malfoy was about to tell her to stop when he thought to himself: this isn't so bad...she's got nice hands...I'll tell her to stop later...And he fell asleep.


	2. chapter 2 catchy isn't it?

  
Chapter 2 

Huh ...Where am I? Malfoy wondered as he surveyed his surroundings, groggily blinking sleep out of his eyes. Oh crap! It was all coming back to him. He was stuck as a cat. He stretched his long lithe body and jumped from his seat next to Hermione. He looked back up at her. She was sleeping with a little smile on her face. She looked so sweet and...and she was the reason he was stuck being a cat for who knows how long, he reminded himself sternly. I have to get out of here , he thought to himself . But I can't open the door, I'm only a cat...

Just then the Hogwarts Express screeched to a halt. In the confusion of people waking up, jumping up and leaving the compartment ,Malfoy managed to slip away. He narrowly avoided being stomped on as he slipped under the seat of the one of the thestral-drawn carriages waiting to take people up to Hogwarts. As the carriage moved forward several moments later, he thought about how he could get the other Slytherins to help him.

Back in the train Hermione was searching franticly "Where is he," she murmured as she looked under her book (not that there was any way that he could have been hiding under her book, but she'd looked everywhere else already).

"Where is who?" Ron asked her.

Suddenly Hermione looked up with a grim look on her face" Who indeed! Should have known he'd try to do things his way! Just like him..."

Ron looked at her curiously "Are you O.K Hermione?"

"Oh, I'm fine I just can't find my new kitty, I just can't think where he can have got to!"

"Oh well, I'm sure you'll find him soon. He's probably just exploring his new home or something,"Ron said.

"Or something!" Hermione grunted to herself.

"What was that?" Ron asked.

"Oh, yes I'm sure you're right. But now we have to get off the train before we miss all the carriages."To herself she thought; let him get himself into trouble, see if I help him! Let him see what it's like to be a helpless little animal! And with that Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville left the train and got into a nearby carriage. Hmmmmmmm ...Has anybody noticed that Ginny did not return? Where has Ginny got to? And with who? More on that later

Meanwhile Malfoy had reached Hogwarts and was heading towards the Slytherin common room. He quickly left behind him the chattering masses that were heading towards the Great Hall. After rounding the last corner, he reached his destination. After staring at the picture that covered the entrance he realized that he did not know the password and even if he had, he would not have been able to say it because he was a cat and the only person that could understand him was Hermione. So he decided to wait. Somebody was bound to come along soon. 10 minutes later Crabbe and Goyle came lumbering around the corner. They were not in the best of moods. Without Malfoys help they had gotten lost on the way to the Great Hall. Not only were they hungry but they had no idea what to do with themselves now that Malfoy was absent. They had only happened upon the entrance to their common room by chance. Malfoy guessed that they probably didn't know the password either. He was about to give up on his idea of getting help and leave, when Crabbe and Goyle spotted him. Goyle nudged Crabbe and pointed at Malfoy. A light seemed to go on for them as though of recognition. But unfortunately it wasn't the fact that the cat resembled Malfoy, it was of the fact that just that afternoon they had been very mean to an animal a lot like this one. Seeing the look in their eyes Malfoy tried to shout "No, no. It's me!" But to no avail. Both goons felt that Malfoy would approve if they messed up another furry little animal. Fortunately or rather unfortunately they didn't even think of using their wands...

Half an hour later Hermione, Ron and Harry left the Great Hall. They had all eaten their fill and were looking forward to their beds. Harry and Ron were having an animated conversation about quidditch and Hermione was stifling a yawn behind her hand. Quite honestly Quidditch bored her. She had never been very good at flying and she only went to the quidditch matches to support Harry and Ron .And now that Harry had been made captain of the team he would probably be spending more time in the air instead of studying for the NEWTs next year. True it was still another year but those tests were very important all the same...and if she tried to tell them that they would just call her a bore...so she didn't say anything and just went on walking.

Suddenly she heard a pitiful voice cry "No, no ! Heeeeelp!"

"Do you guys hear that ?" Hermione said, stopping to listen.

"It sounds like some animal in pain,"Harry said in a worried voice. All three turned to where the noise was coming from and Hermione felt realization wash over her.

"Oh my gosh, it's him!" she yelped as she took of towards the source of the noise, Harry and Ron following close behind her wondering who she had recognized.

A.N. In retrospect, I realise that this story, contrary to what people told me in their reviews,makes Draco sound like a winging brat and Hermione like the Saint Kathrine. I am certainly my own worst critic but I feel like my writing ability has come a long way since then...right now I don't really like the first three chapters myself...they turned out so Blah. But if you like, just heap on the compliments, I don't mind,hehe


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Sorry, no time to reply today, will do it next time. I promise I will reply to every review I get but right now I have to study

Hermione ran as fast as she could to the empty classroom where Malfoys cries were coming from. She reached the classroom first with Harry and Ron only feet away. Slamming open the door she was shocked to see a very battered white cat lying on the floor. "What the hell have you done to him!" She screamed at Crabbe and Goyle who had obviously used him as a punching bag. Worry overrode every other emotion Hermione might have been feeling at that moment and she made a move forward to pick Draco up. But Crabbe moved forward to block her path, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

Hermione bit her lip and wondered what to do next, just then Ron and Harry ran up behind her. "We'll try to hold them off if you can grab your cat fast and run even faster." Harry whispered urgently.

"Speak for yourself mate," Ron mumbled, looking paler by the minute at the very thought of fighting with Crabbe and Goyle.That's so sweet of Harry, Hermione thought, but I dunno if I should really let those goons beat him up...She looked uncertainly at the door and then at Draco. He needs help quick, he looks real bad...but what am I going to do?

Suddenly Goyle moved forward and later nobody knew if he did it on purpose or if it was an accident but he stood on Dracos tail and Draco let out an anguished " Oooooowwwwwwwwww". At this Hermiones temper just fired upHe-he, I have given Hermy a temper. It defiantly makes things more interesting, don't ya think? "Just who do you think you are? You don't scare me you overgrown apes." She shouted at a startled Crabbe and Goyle. "How dare you beat up something that's defenseless !" She whipped out her wand and snarled "_Orfius hotende marite aspar_". A yellow light hit both Crabbe and Goyle and they both fell to the floor like rocks. Everybody looked at Hermione in shock, even Hermione herself seemed to be surprised at herself. She wondered why she had reacted so strongly...she quickly put it down to her stupid temper although... she had never reacted this strongly before to anything...

There was silence... then Ron hesitantly took a few steps forward and nudged Crabbe's face with his shoe. But Crabbe remained as still as a rock. Ron laughed nervously "Hermione ... errr... w-what have you done to them? Are they ...are they... you know..." he let his question trail off.

"No,Ron" Hermione sighed as she started forward "they're only asleep, but," she gave a half smile "it'll be at least a month before they wake up! "

"Wow Hermione! I had no idea you could do that ," Harry said in an awed tone.

"My dear Harry, there are a lot of things that I can do which you don't know about!" Hermione stated tartly.

She crouched in front of Draco and asked in an anxious voice "Are you okay?"

Although it was clear that he wasn't okay, Draco opened his pain-clouded eyes and managed to whisper "Just peachy. So go away!"

Hermione smiled almost tenderly and murmured "Always the fighter,"he would never be able to admit to weakness.

She carefully picked him up and carried him out the door. She didn't even notice that Ron and Harry weren't with her. She walked as quickly as she could, without upsetting Draco, down the passage. "Look at what they've done to you!' she murmured down to his unconscious form. She didn't even think to take him to the hospital room, but took him up to her own room where she placed him in a large basket with a fluffy pillow. She tended to his wounds, murmuring things like "I know you'll make it,"and "even you don't deserve to be beaten up like this," and "soon you'll be back to your old nasty self, mores the pity,"and put various ointments on his body to soothe the pain. She worked slowly and meticulously and didn't even notice that it was soon past midnight.


	4. Chapter 4

And HERE, finally a word of thanx to those who have reviewed me.

Monkeygurl4evr.Here is the new chapter! Four down,three to go

GirlGoddesses : Well, I read a couple of FunnyFreaks storys…she was the one who liked to mow down Harry with the 16 Wheeler .lol.( or was it an 18 wheeler?)…but my storys are all in 'love potions' while hers are in 'Zonko's' so …you should come to the DC forums and look me up. My forum name is Ryu-chan.

AshleyPorter : Thanks for reading my story!

sparkling silver angel wings: Sometimes I almost smother myself with my own fluffyness….

izzaboo22neo : Now Draco's even more cuddley and adorable then he was before…

Chapter 4 

The sun was already high in the sky when Draco started to wake up. It was shining so brightly that Draco could not help opening his eyes. "Uuaaaaggh" he let out a grunt as he opened one eye and then the other groggily and peered around at his surroundings. Where was he? And why did his whole body hurt like a truck had rolled over it? What was the damn time anyway?

Suddenly he remembered the whole sordid scene. " Oh shit!" He closed his eyes again, but that just made the memories clearer. Crabbe and Goyle…the pain…and the humiliation of having to be saved by that, that girl, was even worse. True, he couldn't remember that much about what had happened at that point, he had been in to much pain…only dimly could he remember the pain in his tail and her waving her wand and Crabbe and Goyle toppling over like felled trees. It must have been a pretty strong spell, he mused as he slowly got up, it was pretty hard to get anything through Crabbe and Goyles thick skin. Even though he hated Hermione he often could not help admiring her for her talent in knowing the most difficult of spells.

Although his body was still sore, the pain was slowly going away. He was feeling better by the minute and he figured that it was due to the bandages and the ointment, which covered his body in various places, that he was healing so quickly. Hermione had obviously worked her magic pretty well…maybe she looked after a lot of her animals herself? He wouldn't be surprised. Although he had never seen her help any other animal he figured that her kindness towards animals was perhaps the only reason she had saved him. Why else would she have helped him?

He walked slowly across the room, stretching his aching muscles and swishing his bandaged tail. Suddenly he noticed a long role of parchment lying on her desk. To get a closer look, he jumped on the chair and then onto the desk, only stopping for a moment to wince at the sudden pain from the movements. Once he was staring at the role of parchment, he discovered that it was a Transfiguration essay, at least 5 feet long, written in Hermiones neat handwriting. Next to it stood an open bottle of ink. His eyes flitted from the bottle of ink to the essay. He shouldn't do it .His conscience told him not to do it. He knew that she had probably saved his life and that he owed her. He didn't want to owe her anything. But he did….No, he didn't, he assured himself, he was a pureblood Slytherin and she was just a muggle-born Griffendor. And with that he knocked over the open inkpot so that ink spilled all over Hermiones essay.

Just then Hermione burst into the room carrying her book bag and some food on a plate. At seeing that he was awake she walked over to him and held out the food she was carrying "Oh good, you're awake. I brought you some food," she said smiling. Suddenly she noticed the mess on the desk next to him. " Oh no, my essay!" she said dropping everything onto a nearby table (lets presume that there are tables in the bedroom) and rushing over to look at the ruined essay. " Did you …do this?… Why would you do this?" Her eyes looked into his and he saw the confusion, the anger and strangely, what looked like sadness and disappointment. At seeing the guilt in his eyes she whirled around, grabbing her book bag and marched out of the bedroom, head held down and mumbling " I need to get to Transfiguration,"she left the room.

Draco was left behind, sitting there, feeling oddly guilty. It was not a feeling he felt often and he felt confused with his guilty conscience. He had done the Slytherin thing and he should feel proud. But he did not .He felt really bad instead. He tried to eat some of the food that Hermoine had left him, but strangely he didn't feel as hungry as he had upon waking up. He didn't know what to do about the guilty feelings he kept having and finally decided to follow Hermione to her Transfiguration class and find out what excuse she had made up about the essay.

However he had not calculated on the time it would take him, in his state of bandages and sores, to reach the class and therefore only reached the Transfiguration class as it was slowly emptying of people. He walked inside and found to his surprise that Hermione was still there, talking to Prof. McGonagall. She was nervously chewing her lip as McGonagall lectured her. " I can not believe Miss Granger, that you simply 'forgot' to write your essay. I will not except your excuse. You will serve detention with me on Friday and that is final! I can not excuse your behavior, just because you are my best student!" she turned away to show that the conversation was finished and started gathering her papers. Hermione also turned away, slowly walking out the door, looking as if she were about to burst out in tears.

Draco ran quickly to catch up with her " Hermione, hey Hermione!" He called. She stopped and turned around to face him with an utterly dejected look on her face. " What do you want? Come to gloat?" " No. I just wanted to…" he had no idea what he had wanted to do. He felt like he wanted to apologize but …it just wasn't done, he was a Malfoy and his upbringing and his damn pride would not let him. " I wanted to…ask you why you didn't say that I messed up your essay, or at least blame your 'cat'? he asked instead. Hermione smiled a sad little smile at this and replied " because I can't change how things are. You are a Slytherin. You are cold-hearted and mean. Who am I to try and change you? Of course I can't.You can not change, for being a Sytherin is in your nature. That is how things are…" and with that she turned away and walked away slowly.

Draco was shocked. Had he done that? Had he taken away her faith? The faith to see the good in people. To try and change them so that they were better people. What had he done to the Hermione that was always picking on people's faults? Because ultimately even changing him into a cat had only been her way of showing him how a cat felt. That sadness in her eyes was to much to bear. He had to do something about it. He didn't care what she said, Slytherins could change for the better. And he could change ,he would change. He assured himself that he was doing it only to prove her wrong and not because he cared for her in any way. But deep down in his heart , he knew the truth.

YAY, he's finally going to change for the better and surprise, surprise, he's doing it for Hermione! And have you noticed that he's started calling her 'Hermione' too? That frozen heart of his is defiantly starting to thaw! But can Hermione ever have feelings for him? And to what lengths will Draco go to show her that he's changed for the better? Find out soon in the next chapter of: A cats perspective.


	5. chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sorry that its late guys…I was very busy these hols and it just slipped my mind,hehe…

Draco slowly walked back to the Griffindor common room, wondering how he could show Hermione that he could change and become a better person. For so long now he had always listened to his fathers advice. Actually it was more like his fathers orders. All he had ever wanted to do was make his father proud but no matter how hard he tried, no matter how mean he had been, his father had never been satisfied. He realized now that no matter what he did his father would never be happy. He also realized that his heart had never really been in it. He had tried to be mean spirited but look what where it had brought him. He had never had any real friends; those two oafs that followed him around everywhere could never be termed 'friends'. And the rest of the Slytherins were only friends with him if they knew they could get something out of it. On the whole, he suddenly realized, Hermione actually had a pretty good life. She had great friends, was loved by everyone and had loving parents.

Suddenly he remembered that in a months time he was supposed to be initiated as a death-eater. Just another thing that his father was making him do, the thought probably never even occurred to him that Draco might not want to become a death-eater. All of a sudden he felt almost happy that he was stuck as a cat. Now they would never be able to find him and he would not be forced to become a death-eater.

As he went into the common room (don't ask me how he was able to do that without a translator or something, he's Draco, what can I say) he spotted Hermione sitting close to the fireplace with both Harry and Ron babbling on about something. She was leaning over to hear Harry better and he really couldn't understand it when he felt that, really, she shouldn't have been leaning THAT close to old scarhead. He just wouldn't accept the fact that maybe he was feeling a little jealous. He walked closer and managed to hear Harry's last words " and he's just gone! The teachers have searched every where but all they found were his clothes. Malfoy might be gone forever! Just think, wouldn't that be wonderful?" " Don't count on it Harry, maybe he's planning something big! Some thing really evil!" Ron said with a frown. " Spoilsport!" Grumbled Harry, but he was looking slightly worried now too. Hermione said nothing. She just stared intently at a loose thread on Ron's sleeve.

"Helloooooo? Hermione? Are you okay" Ron asked in a worried voice, waving a hand in front of her face. "Yes Ron, just a bit tired is all," she sighed and stared down at her hands. " Right…well, have any of you seen Ginny?" Ron looked from Harry to Hermione " she keeps on sneaking of to who-knows-where and she hasn't been herself lately…" " Gees Ron, If even you can notice that something's wrong with Ginny then she must be in serious trouble!" Harry joked. " It's not funny Harry!" Ron burst out " I'm really worried, you know, she's my little sister' I have to look out for her now that Fred and George aren't around any more! She's never been like this before, what am I going to do?!" Harry looked slightly startled at Ron's outburst " Okay, okay…let's go see if we can find her, you don't mind do you Hermione?" " No, you go" Hermione murmured, but both Ron and Harry were already half-way to the door and didn't hear her.

" That's not very polite, not even saying goodbye." Draco said as he leaped onto the chair that Ron had been sitting in only moments before. Hermione tuned and glared at him " What would you know about being polite Malfoy , hmmmm?" Not waiting for an answer she jumped up from the chair and ran up the stairs to her dormitory, mumbling something about reading up on Defense against the dark arts.

Draco looked at her vacated seat for a moment. This was going to be harder than he had thought. And what could he do anyway? He was only a cat after all! True, he was a damn good-looking cat, but a cat non the less. He walked up the stairs and into the dormitory thinking hard. " Where is it? Where is it? He heard Hermiones muffled voice from under her big bed where half of her body seemed to be searching. Her legs stuck out from under the bed at a skew angle. " There are only dust bunnies down here….ha…ha…hachoo!" She sneezed and came out from under the bed again. " I wonder where…oh," she had just spotted Malfoy " its you," Draco moved toward her quickly " Yes, its me…can I help you find something?" It felt weird to actually want to help somebody. Hermione evidently thought so to, because she looked at him through narrowed eyes " What are you trying to prove Malfoy?she turned away and started searching through a pile of books." If you must know I can't find my copy of " Truths and Triumphs of modern Transfiguration" ,I can't think where I put it…" " Well, you might want to look under that pile of books in the corner there." He motioned with his head towards a towering pile of books leaned against Hermiones dresser. " It's the 16th book from the top…"

" Er.. thanks…I think" She moved to get the book. When she found that the book was indeed where Draco had said it would be, she looked up with a wary expression at Draco. " What? " Draco said, then turned around and walked to a sunny patch by a window. The whole time he was thinking, I wish that something big would happen so that I can show her that I've really changed. And with this thought he curled up in the sun and went to sleep. Hermione just looked at him for a few moments and then turned away with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Yeah, its kinda weird having him curl up like a real cat and go to sleep in the middle of the day, but when I see cats do this it just looks so sweet … hehe grins Anyway in thenext chapter we find out more about whats going on with Ginny and maybe Draco will get his wish and something big will happen…maybe…

P.S. Would u guys like to read my Susan/Harry one-shot Xmas challange for DC Forums Fanfic?


	6. Chapter 6

Well, here it is,chapter 6.Better late then never…

That night, Hermione was having a rather enjoyable dream about flying on a cloud, when suddenly she was back on Earth. She whirled around trying to discover why she wasn't on her fluffy cloud anymore when she noticed a crumpled figure about 10 feet away. When she ran to inspect the person she realized it was Ginny. "Oh my gosh! What happened to you Gin?" She asked as she bent down to look closer at her friend. Ginny looked pail , her robes where torn and bloody in places and there where scratches all down her face.

Her eyes suddenly opened and she gasped " You've got to help me Hermione," she grabbed a startled Hermiones arm " He's got me under the Imperious…please help me...I don't want to…" her eyes closed and her head suddenly fell to the side as if she was to weak to even hold it up.

Hermione shook her friend. Now she was no longer just worried but extremely alarmed, " What is it Ginny? Whose got you under the Imperious? What do they want you to do? " she asked urgently.

Ginny opened her eyes slowly, and Hermione was startled to see that they were full of tears. " I'm so sorry….I didn't know it was him…he looked like one of us…Lucias Malfoy…" her voice seemed to be getting weaker " I'll be okay…warn the others…the seven deadly sins…I'm sorry, I'm so weak…I tried to fight…"

A mist seemed to be forming around both of them and Hermione could no longer see her friend anymore, only hear her voice and her shallow sobs. " Ginny! Where are you? Ginny!" She screamed her friends' name.

" So sorry…" came a faint answer and then there was silence.

" Ginny! No! Ginny! Come back"

" Wake up, wake up! Or do you want to wake up the whole of Hogwarts?"

Hermione opened her eyes . She was shaking all over. Next to her on the bed was Draco who had been swatting her with a paw, trying to get her to wake up. Although trying to look like he didn't care, his eyes were filled with worry. " Are you okay? He looked into her eyes.

She stared at him" What are you doing in my bed Malfoy?"

" Er… you woke me up! You were screaming like a banshee! Gees!" he held a paw over one ear "So…why were you shouting for Ginny to "come back"?"

Hermione sat up straight. She was still shaking and the picture of Ginny asking for her help and warning her would not get out of her head. " You can tell me. I won't tease you. I promise." Draco looked at her with serious eyes.

Hermione debated with herself if it was really wise to tell Draco Malfoy about her experience. But then again, he was a cat. Who was he going to tell ? She also needed desperately to tell somebody about her dream, she would never be able to go back to sleep now, and she didn't want to wake Harry or Ron. They would be seriously pissed off at being woken in the middle of the night and would probably tell her that it was all just a dream anyway. But it had felt so real.

She turned to Draco, " Fine, but if this ever comes out I will turn you into a …a…a…jellyfish" Draco raised his eyebrows at her ( okay, technically cats don't have eyebrows but you know what I mean) " and don't think I can't do it, cos I can."

" I never said you couldn't."

" But you implied it with that look."

" I'm a cat, that look could have implied a lot of things."

"Ugh, do you ever say exactly what you mean?"

" Perhaps, now are you going to tell me why you were screaming or not?"

" Why do you care anyway?"

" I want to go to bed and I don't want to be woken up by your screaming again."

" Fine, I'll tell you. I saw Ginny…she looked terrible…she said she was under the Imperious…by your father!" she looked at Draco sharply but his expression remained carefully neutral.

" She was asking for help…and telling me to warn everybody…of something…and then she just disappeared."

" What did she warn you about?"

" What was it now?…the seven…er… something with seven" she scrunched up her face trying to remember what Ginny had said "now I remember, she said to warn everybody of the seven deadly sins. I wonder what that's all about."

But Draco was looking highly alarmed. " Are you sure that's what you heard? Positive?"

"Yup."

Draco was looking as if she had announced that the world was about to end, in other words, utterly horrified. " Then we are in deep trouble!"

" So you don't think its some crazy dream?"

"No."

" Why?"

" The seven deadly sins is a real curse which can only be created by dark magic. Not many people actually know it, its such an old curse, one of the only people who knows how to do it is my father!" he cringed " But its really powerful though!"

"And what does it do?" Hermione asked as she started to feel the dread seep into her bones.

" All it takes is for one 'infected' person to touch another person and the curse starts spreading like wildfire. All its takes is for an infected infected person to touch you and you've got it too."

" And what exactly is 'it'?"

"I'm telling you, it's horrible, one of the seven deadly sins takes over your own personality and totally controls what you do. The seven sins are greed, anger, lust, indulgence, pride, sloth and envy. By the end of the week you'll be dead."

Hermione looked shocked " But how can something like pride or envy kill you?"

" Well, envy for instance. In the later stages you'll be so envious of other peoples possessions that you will do anything to get them. Including murdering people. You will be so focused on getting other peoples things that you will stop eating or functioning normally in any way. Like I said, it takes over who you are and theres nothing you can do about it once your infected.

" But isn't there anything you can do about it?"

" Not as far as I know."

" But somebody must have stopped it the last time it was used"

" I spose so."

" And why hasn't your father used this curse before? Why now?"

" I don't know why now, but I do know that people who know it are very afraid to use it. In the end it usually ends up infecting them too."

" I see."

" All I know is that animals and animagi are immune to it."

" The last person to find a cure for this curse must have been an animagi then."

" Could be."

"So, you'll be immune to it then, being a cat and all."

"Yeah, to bad you're not an animagi, it's the only thing that would save you." Hermione looked at her hands on the duvet.

" You're sure theres no way we can stop Ginny, if she is the originally infected person, from infecting somebody else."

" There is no way you can stop her."

Hermione looked as if she were having an inward struggle . " And being controlled by Lucius would also explain the way she 's been acting. On the train and the whole of yesterday." She paused. " Look Draco, we're going to have to work together if we want to save Hogwarts and find the cure." She looked at him coldly for a moment " Unless of course you don't want to find a cure."

"Of course ,I do."

"Uh-hu." She looked doubtful.

" I'm tired of always being what my fathers wants me to be. I can be my on person. Or cat in this case."

Hermione looked slightly startled. " Well I hope you keep that attitude for a while, cos we're going to need it."

She took a deep breath. " Look, I'm going to show you something that nobody knows about me and you're not to tell anyone. If you say a word about this to anyone I'll hurt you bad, I swear. And just know that I'm only showing you this because we need to work together if we're going to find a cure in time."

Draco eyed her warily." What is it?"

" This," she said and turned into a largish brown owl.

So who knew, shes an animagi ! And most probably an illegal one at that! Anyway she's starting to trust Draco, sort of, if you don't count the threats! Next time we see Hermione and Draco running or in Hermiones case flying all over the place trying to find a cure and we also see the deadly sins taking effect on several people including Ron and Harry. Well rr people! Cheers!


End file.
